


Dieing Frontier

by Freya_Druid



Category: Dead Frontier (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Flaming Wraith - Freeform, Human Experimentation, Secronom, Wraith, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 07:09:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13336062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freya_Druid/pseuds/Freya_Druid
Summary: A young woman named Clara has volunteered to take part in a medical experimentation, but when the experiment is moved onto phase two she faces deadly consequences. Desperation drives her to extremes in order to preserve her love. (rated m for violence)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When I checked to see what Dead Frontier stories are on here I couldn't find any, and decided that simply won't do. So here's a little story about the first wraith, Clara, originally published on ff.net, feel free to let me know what you think.

I looked across the room into Matt’s eyes, and smiled softly. I’ve known for a while that I would end up desperate for money, but I never thought it would come down to this. Being a test subject in medical experimentations. 

Ever since my junior year of highschool, when my family moved from New York to Paris, I have been trying to get into a college. I graduated 2 years ago, and after the rejection letters piled up to a grand total of 27, I gave up. When I gave up my parents were pissed, of course, and they cut me off. With no financial support and only 3 months before my parents kicked me out, I started searching for work. As time passed I became more and more desperate until I found an add on a creepypasta site for “fast and easy cash” all you had to do was participate in a medical experiment. Given the circumstances I didn’t see any choice, so I signed up and became one of the 110 test subjects at the Secronom facility just outside of Grenoble in southern France. 

I was given an apartment near the facility, paid for by the Secronom corporation in association with the French government, and I moved in within two weeks of signing up for the program. About a week after I moved in the 3rd generation Nerotonin program began, and every other day from then on I went to the Secronom facility to get blood samples drawn, no more than 3 vials each time. They never did tell me what they needed all that blood for, but I didn’t really care. I was getting a steady income and a free apartment for barely doing anything. 

About 3 months into the program I met Matt. He was another test subject, and he spoke english like me. I started hanging out with him, mostly playing video games, and eventually we ended up dating each other. This lasted about one and a half years before we got a notification that the program was being moved on to “phase two”. So we went to the facility at 8 am, as requested, and we were formally informed that the preliminary tests had been completed, so we would no longer have blood samples taken every other day, but instead receive injections once a week. Several people asked what was going to be in the injections, and at this the man that had been talking to us left the room to come back a few minutes later with a female scientist. 

“You will be split into two groups, each group will receive a different injection, one will be a placebo, the other will be a genetically engineered virus. This virus has been tested very thoroughly, that's what we have been doing with your blood samples for the last 20 months, and it is completely safe,” the scientist explained to the group of test subjects. She got no response. After several seconds of awkward silence she turned around and left the room. 

The next day they began giving everyone injections. I sat in the waiting room looking across at Matt, who met my eyes and matched my smile. He mouthed the words ‘don’t be nervous’ only seconds before they called my name. I glanced at him one final time before heading back with the nurse.  _ Why do I have to go first? _ The nurse took me into a small room with one of those doctors office style beds in it and told me to sit down. She left the room then returned a few seconds later, with a small tray holding two syringes and a vial of blue liquid. She injected one shot into each of my arms and told me to lay down. “It should take effect in a few minutes, then you can leave.” With this she left the room. 

I layed down and closed my eyes. Slowly my arms began to ache, only slightly at first, then more and more until I could barely feel my fingers. I sat bolt upright and wiggled my fingers trying to reactivate the seemingly dead nerves. Only one problem, i couldn’t move my fingers or arms, and the aching sensation was spreading. It started to leach into my chest then up my neck and down my back. It became extremely strenuous to even maintain a sitting position, until at last I flopped backward.  _ Help! Someone help me! _ I tried to scream the words but my voice wouldn’t work, and then the ache reached my head. The pain was unbearable and, even though it must have only lasted a few seconds, it felt like it lasted for an eternity. Eventually my vision blurred and the world went black. 

I may have been unconscious for only a moment, or for days, but suddenly all the light of the world came flooding back in. I bolted upright and ran into the hallway, something on my shoulder caught on the door and a stab of pain wracked my back, but that didn’t even slow my progress. I rushed past the screaming staff, not stopping to think about their fear, and burst into the lobby. It only took a second for me to locate Matt in the otherwise empty waiting room, and when I did I practically flew across the room to him. But when his eyes met mine I did not see love or adoration, instead I saw only fear. I turned to my left and looked into the mirror covering the wall that separates the waiting room from the rest of the facility, only I did not see myself staring back. Instead I saw a tall girl that faintly resembled me, only with pale skin, blood red eyes and, most terrifying of all, huge tentacles extending from her back. And as I stared at this thing in the mirror tears flowed into my eyes. 

“Clara?” Matt's frightened realization brought me back to Earth, and I turned to him, tears flowing freely down my cheeks. “Oh god Clara, what did they do to you?” I tried to say  _ run _ but all that came out was a pained screech. Matt looked at me with a combination of anger and pity, I had never seen anything like this from him. At this I grabbed his hand and ran.

We ran out the front door, and to the guarded gate at the entrance to the facility. I looked back to see Matt struggling to keep up with my desperate pace.  _ Sorry, but we need to get you out of here. You need to survive this, even if I don’t.  _ So I continued to run, and eventually we reached the gate. Before the guards realized we were coming i released Matt’s hand and ran straight into the guard house. My desperation, in combination with the fog that was settling upon my mind, led me to do things I am not proud of to those poor guards, but I knew that it had to be done to save Matt from my fate. Only seconds later I left the guard house, my white dress soaked in blood. 

Matt looked at me in horror. I couldn’t meet his eyes. I gently took his hand and continued our desperate escape. After several minutes of running i stopped dead. Turning around I faced Matt with tears in my eyes.  _ I’m sorry.  _

“It’s ok, I know you're still in there, and I will see you again, I know I will… I love you too.” Matt's understanding of me was touching, but I knew I didn’t have time to appreciate it.  _ Tell the world what they did. _ “I will.”  _ Now run!  _ As that final message reached him Matt turned and ran past me as fast as he could. I turned my attention to the facility, finally allowing all of my hate to spill over as I slowly went back to hell. As I walked back to the chaos from whence I came I felt Matt’s eyes meet my back. With this, I headed back into the facility, and unleashed hell upon them. Eventually I ended up in a cage, along with 108 other test subjects. Then, in summer I think, foolish police officers released me. I remember them lighting me on fire in a desperate attempt to stop me, but the flames didn’t burn, they served only to strengthen me. And as my anger consumed me I had only one thought. 

_ I promise that I will find you. _

All that's left of my mind focuses on that final promise. And now I wander the streets, killing the innocent survivors, all the while searching for my lost love. 


	2. Chapter 2

A young man sat in a dark yard, strands of damp black hair obscuring his grim expression as he carefully donned complex black armor. Once everything was firmly in place he pulled an eerie helmet over his head, covering his face, slung a pack over his shoulder, and grabbed an elegant single edged sword as he strode away from his resting place.

“Going out again?” A voice sounded out from the shadows as the young man made his way toward what appeared to be a guarded gate.

“What else am I to do?” The man spoke in a warning tone from behind his mask. 

“Whatever you’re running from isn’t worth getting killed over.” 

“You’re wrong. I’m not running from anything.” The man's tone was growing darker by the second.

“Then what exactly are you doing?” 

“Searching...” One word, that seemed to hold the weight of the world.

“Fine, but you are the best survivor I know of. Hell, just look at you. Dusk Reactive armor, Dusk Razor, Dusk Kris, and a Dusk Helmet. You’re the one we all look up to, Matt.”

Matt shook his head, sighing as he walked away. The one in the shadows whispered words of luck, but Matt was already gone. Matt walked through a large gate, stepping into the flickering light cast by fire contained within a large cylinder. The man guarding the gate nodded to Matt as he strode past him into the dark of night. 

_ I should look for medical supplies, the Fort is running low (as always). I haven’t checked the South Eastern Zone in a while, maybe some new mutations have wandered into the city. Perhaps a boss… A wraith… What a wretched name they have given her. _

Matt returned his focus to the road ahead. It took only an hour or so for Matt to reach the most dangerous area of fairview, and soon he had grown tired of killing the infected. 

_ I wonder where she is. Maybe I should leave the city, who knows I may be able to find something useful if I loot a Secronom facility. Who am I kidding? I just want to find her. I’ve been entertaining the idea for a while, I may as well go to the nearest facility. It shouldn’t take me more than three days to get there on foot… _

And so, the young man left the city. It took him two and a half days to reach his destination, by the time he had he already consumed over half the food he had looted while still in Fairview. Finally he saw the deserted building he had been looking for. A large off white building sat before Matt, several smaller buildings branching off of the main one, oddly preserved as if it had been spared the fate of the rest of the world. Matt heaved a deep sigh before continuing onward, into the abandoned reception area. 

A few zombies wandered the entrance area, most of which wore bloodied lab coats. Matt unsheathed his elegant sword, quickly dispatching the obstacles before him so he could move farther into the facility. As he entered the labyrinth of hallways, he heard a familiar sound that wasn’t quite a sigh and wasn’t quite a sob.  _ Boss, maybe even a wraith. _ Then he heard the quiet sizzling of eternally burning and healing flesh. 

Padding on silent feet, Matt inched toward the sound. Turning a corner, he found himself in a long hallway, with a flaming creature. It wore a tattered bloodsoaked dress, long winglike tentacles extending from it’s back. Matt clutched his sword, time slowing as the wraith revealed it’s face to him. Black hair, sad eyes, and a tired expression.

“Clara…” Matt whispered, and the creature lunged at him. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Clara…” Matt whispered, and the creature lunged at him. 

Time seemed to slow as Clara flew down the long hallway, bringing death with her. Finally something within Matt’s mind clicked into place.

“CLARA!!!” He shouted as he ripped the mask from his face. 

For a moment, nothing changed. The beast that had once been Clara continued to charge, poised and ready to attack. Matt began to fear that the woman he had loved was already too far gone. But then something odd happened. The expression upon Clara’s face flashed to one of pure fear, and not a moment later the wraith stumbled and fell, turning into a chaotic ball of tentacles and more human limbs.

Wraiths are elegant creatures, never misplacing a foot, arm, or tentacle and rarely missing their target. So it is rather odd to suddenly see one stumble over it’s own feet.

Within a moment, the wraith-woman had righted herself and turned to once again face Matt, who clutched his sword, unsure of what was happening. But when he looked at her face, Matt could see the battle raging within the mutant as clear as if two individuals were battling in the hall. Clara's expression continued to flash between fearful determination and pure fury until her face distorted in pain and Clara released an ear splitting shriek. 

Suddenly two tentacles were flying at Matt’s head in a sloppy attack. He ducked, easily avoiding the attack and a moment later the appendages crashed into the wall to his right, causing drywall and plaster to fly up in clouds of dust. Matt cast a glance at Clara only to see the pain painted on her face, clear as day. 

_ Looks like I don’t have a choice. I’m sorry Clara. _

Matt gripped his sword and braced for the next attack which happened to be a backhanded lash of the same tentacles that had tried to harm him before. When the appendages started to move, Matt ran forward, straight to Clara. With a quick flash of the silver blade, the tentacles that had attacked him were removed from the wraiths back at their base, along with the rest of the large left handed tentacles. The wraith howled in pain, arching her back and screaming at the now cracked ceiling above her. 

Matt skidded to a halt, turning to face his opponent in the process. For a second he thought that he had seen some of Clara’s smaller tentacles knotted near her neck, but he didn’t have time to study that as the next moment the infected woman had spun to face him once again. The wraith shook her head from side to side as if to try and clear her mind, then gingerly touched her right hand to the left side of her back. When she brought her hand before herself it was coated in clumpy deep red blood. For a moment, the creature seemed completely confused, then she looked up at Matt and became once again enraged. 

She charged at Matt, flinging her right tentacles at him. But Matt knew how this attack would work, after all ever since the world had gone to shit he had been obsessed with wraiths, observing them, analyzing them, hunting the down and even fighting them to the death when necessary. When Clara stopped on her left foot and started leaning forward, Matt charged forward, sweeping his sword down so the back of the blade came down on the creatures neck, stunning her. Without hesitation, Matt reversed the trajectory of the weapon, bringing it up above his head before he looped it around and brought the sharp edge down on the base of the tentacles that extended from the infected woman's back. 

This time the wraith didn’t howl nor scream out in pain, she simply groaned before collapsing into a bloody, flaming heap on the floor. Matt stood back, ready for another attack that never came. The flames that licked at Clara’s body sealed the wounds on her back before Matt’s eyes, leaving what almost looked like a normal girl. Though, there were still a few tentacles left on her upper back, but they all seemed to be smaller and were knotted up as if clutching something. 

As Matt stared at the lump of tentacles Clara stirred slightly, groaning as if in great pain. She seemed to be very weak, but still managed to get to her feet, swaying as she tried to maintain her balance. She slowly turned around to face Matt, and when their eyes met the man's heart broke. Clara’s face was streaked with tears that trailed small paths through the fire before evaporating, and her eyes held pain and suffering. 

Matt gripped the hilt of his sword so hard that his knuckles turned white, and then Clara flung herself at him. In one smooth motion, Matt sidestepped the attack and swung his weapon, decapitating the woman he had once loved. 

“I’m so sorry my love,” Matt whispered as he turned back to face the corpse of Clara, a single tear rolling down his face.

Matt watched as the flames that had once made her stronger slowly consumed Clara’s body, burning it to a crisp until there was nothing left to fuel the fire and it withered away. When the fire was gone, Matt approached the body when something shiny caught his eye. Where the clump of tentacles had once been was now a crusted mass that fell apart at his touch, but beneath that was a strange metal box.

Matt picked up the box, brushing away some of the ash that remained on its surface to discover the ‘N-8B’ written on the side. Matt set the box to the side for the moment and stared down at the charred corpse before him. The man gently picked up the body and the severed head and started heading to the entrance of the facility. On the way he stopped at an examination room, grabbing the pristine white sheet on the table and wrapping it around the body before leaving the compound to bury the white mass. At the head of Clara’s grave, atop the boulder that was already there, Matt placed the square Creeper head keychain that Clara had given him before Secronom released this virus on the world. 

 

* * *

 

Matt stumbled into the Fort several days later, half dead both on the inside and the outside. His injuries healed quickly but the damage beneath the surface would remain much longer. Matt gave the box Clara had been carrying to the scientific staff of the outpost who analysed it’s contents to discover several research papers and a powerful medicine, much like Nerotonin-2 but much more effective.

Many people asked Matt where he had found such a thing, especially seeing as some very extensive medical research Secronom had done was placed in the box with samples of the drug itself. But whenever asked, Matt simply held the square Creeper head necklace that hung around his neck and said it was a gift from someone he loves. 

The one that had seen him on the day he left was the first, and only to press for more, asking simply who the necklace came from. 

Matt’s face turned to stone, showing no emotion as he replied “My girlfriend. On the last day I saw her before she became infected she had left it in our apartment by accident. I never got a good chance to give it back to her.”


	4. Epilogue

Wandering, searching, killing. Time passes, and I find clues, scraps that my lost mind labels as ‘important’ but I cannot understand them. Another person, another splash of blood on my dress, they won’t hurt him now, not when they are little more than a crumpled heap of limbs at my feet. But who is he? Who can I never let die? I know I wasn’t always like this, wasn’t always a monster wandering alone, not even the hoard to keep me company. Sometimes I see glimpses in my mind, flashed of a pretty face, feelings that barely hold meaning to me anymore. I know I wasn't always like this. But what was I?

‘Secronom.’ I can barely understand the letters on the sign standing before a big building, but I understand the emotions those letters fill me with. Anger. Hate. Vengeance. This is what I can understand because this is what I am. I am hate. My flesh continues to burn as I wander the plain, sterile walls. I see signs with letters that form words that have no meaning to me. But then I find a room. Unlike the other rooms, this one had ‘others’ in it. The mindless ones, so easily controlled, wandered through the scattered papers and broken samples. One was even trying to look through a microscope, though that ended with him putting the eyepiece between his molars in an attempt to bite it off. It looked like these others had been trying to gather the papers and save them before they changed. Then I noticed a metal box, clutched in the hands of a person not changed but long dead. Most of his flesh had been eaten by his friends, but his dead hands still clasped at the box with ‘N-8B’ written on the side. 

Something in me welled up, like a fountain overflowing, and for the first time I could remember I wanted to shed tears. ‘This is hope’ a small part of me told the rest, and as I grabbed the box and clutched it in the safest place I could I knew that I may be able to see him again, if this box really is hope.


End file.
